The word Pardhan (pronounced as Pardhaan) has a general meaning as understood by most of the people (a leader, Aagoo, chief, a distinguished person,
etc.), and also a
special meaning as indicated by the Gurbani. This Gurbani Reflection will
try to understand the significance of this term. Secondly,
the discussion is limited to a Spiritual standpoint only. However, the fundamental
principles can be applied to other situations as well.

The nuances of right morality or conduct have been nurtured and passed on from
generation to generation in practice. The scriptures not only provide us with
the guidelines for the proper conduct, they also indicate that the leaders and
elders in the society must set an example by their righteous behavior. If they
do not conduct themselves righteously or truthfully, then they cannot expect others, especially
the young generation, to be virtuous. Therefore, the elderly or the leaders
who occupy important positions in the society have to be conscious of their
behavior; so they must hold upright conduct. Does this happen? Very rarely!
To the contrary, we all routinely hear and read stories or witness scenes such
as:

Corruption at all levels of the society, including
religious places and institutions.

Religion, religious places and organizations run
and managed by ex-convicts, accused murderers, criminals, crook politicians,
corrupt clergy, and so on.

Use of violence, guns and swords at religious places.

Killing and hurting of fellow devotees by the different
factions or groups in the name of religion and God.

Stealing of donation money or inappropriate use of
funds by Pardhaan and his associates .

Use of religious corporations by Pardhaan and his
associates to smuggle or bring people (in the garb of Giaanees, Raagees,
Granthees, Parchaarak, etc.) from other countries for making
money.

Money laundering scandals involving Pardhaan and
his associates; purchasing personal businesses with the Gurdawaaraa funds —
leaving Gurdawaaraa in financial chaos (or any religious place for that matter).

Religious places being closed by the Government agencies
due to violence, larceny, and swindling charges, resulting in civil and criminal
litigation.

Religious premises used for inappropriate and vulgar
activities by the leaders, Giaanees, Raagees, etc.

Cheating and misleading of Sangat or devotees by
Pardhaans and their associates.

Honoring and glorification of swindlers in the garb
of Raagees, Saints, Parchaaraks, etc., by Pardhaans in the presence
of Holy Scriptures.

If a Pardhaan and his group loose control of a particular Gurdawaaraa (or
any other religious place), they split and open up another one, based on their
ill feelings and ill intentions rather than a genuine Spiritual cause.

Very rarely we hear of some rare individuals performing
righteously; but, unfortunately, not too many people want to support such
righteous beings.

Clearly, it appears that the people in control of religious places are able to
impose their personal agenda or will on others not by the virtue of their Spiritual
Wisdom, credibility, ethics, or moral character but because they have behind them
some sort of material power or influence (money!). Apparently, such people only
want power and recognition without any responsibility such as dissemination of
the Gurbani and Dharma in their true sense. They seem to have no genuine interest
in the aspirations of the people they represent. Baabaa Nanak thunders:

What may be the source of such immorality, unrighteousness, untruthfulness, corruption, falsehood,
selfishness and degradation of individual beings in the society? Proper understanding
of this falsehood-contaminated behavior can be attained if one tries to examine
its root cause.

Essentially, there are two kinds of living beings: (a) Liberated Beings (the Gurmukhs), and
(b) conditioned beings (the Manmukhs). Liberated souls are those who have realized the Mool (ਮੂਲ-Source, Origin...), and, hence, have freed themselves from the bondage
of the material world. The Gurbani calls such Self-realized souls "Gurmukhs". By becoming Gurmukhs, they have ascended themselves to be
situated in their True Nature as Unconditioned Consciousness.

Conditioned souls are those who have their senses, mind, intellect and consciousness
contaminated by their emotional attachment to this material world. To
put it otherwise, conditioned souls try to dominate the material nature and
become subjected to its effects in the process — lust, anger, greed, attachment,
pride, enviousness, stubborn mindedness and suffering from repeated birth and
death, etc. The Gurbani calls such bonded beings "Manmukhs",
or self-willed, etc.

A Wise Man always aspires for higher values in life. The assets of such person
are: Self-knowledge (Aatam-Giaan, Bibek-Budhi...), exertion, forbearance, steadiness in virtue, detachment from
the unreal, righteousness, truthful living, true contentment, compassion,
and so on. A conditioned soul, on the other hand, is subjected to defects such as:

He is diseased with the propensity to cheat others.

He is illusioned he does not know his true
position in relation to his Mool (Source, Origin, Reality...). He has taken his physical body
as his real Self; consequently, he lives unwisely to fulfill the ever ending
demands of his physical body.

His senses are contaminated with such imperfect
senses, he renders himself unfit to gain Divine Knowledge (Aatam-Giaan...), for the Divine Knowledge is beyond
the activities of the defiled senses.

Due to such conditioning, he commits mistakes...

It is clear that material conditioning (our love of Maya, ਮਾਇਆ ਦੀ ਭੁਖ...) is the root cause of our problems. Under
the spell of such mental delusion, one conditioned being elects another conditioned
being as a Pardhaan of Gurdawaaraa, or any other religious/social organization for
that matter! The unfailing outcome is chaos, widespread corruption, immorality,
selfishness, falsehood and unrighteousness. Unfortunately, these are the very
individuals who consider themselves to be the torchbearers of righteousness, truth,
spirituality, religion, and morality; as well as the guides for other in the society!
Also, such individuals with their instinctive and wisdom-blind mind interpret
the Gurbani, and make edicts or decrees for others to follow.

"What is then expected of a Pardhaan?", one
may ask. The Gurbani provides us with true and essential qualifications of a
Pardhaan. Some of these qualifications include, but not limited to, truthful
living, true contentment, Spiritual Wisdom (Aatam-Giaan, Bibek-Budhi...), compassion, righteousness, selflessness,
desirelessness, egolessness,
forgiveness, constant abidance in God-Consciousness, mind fixed in
Shabad-Surti (Aatam-Giaan...), well-conducted, thorough understanding of Gurbani and remembering it with every breath and morsel, obeying Hukam (God's
Will...), having true love for the only One, sweet-natured, the Gurmukh, and so on.

Thus, a Pardhaan is a person who has the sense of Oneness. He is a man of character,
generosity of heart, mercy, Spiritual Wisdom (Aatam-Giaan, Bibek-Budhi...), true contentment, humility, universal
love, moral well-being, valor, eminence, fortitude, efficiency and sense of responsibility, etc.
He is free of false ego (Haume), and, thereby, does not get disturbed
by criticism, praise, insult, failures, success, likes and dislikes. Without greed
and selfishness or any material ambitions, he knows the importance of selfless
service (Sevaa) thundered by the Gurbani. He is concerned about responsibility
and principles, not about recognition. He is a man of Inner Happiness, who feels
he has all he needs.

Therefore, a true, upright, and honest Pardhaan will distinguish himself by
exemplary Spiritual Wisdom he will act with vision,
righteousness and truth under all circumstances; he is straight forward; he
never resorts to falsehood even when compelled by inescapable situations; he
keeps the senses under his strict control; he shows restraint and patience; he is
kind and charitable; he enshrines the One in his Heart; he observes detachment
from all that is unreal; he masters the true meanings of the Gurbani; he
does not show jealousy or malice; he feels guilty to do any prohibited act;
he refrains from injuring the sentiments of others; he keeps a constant vigil
over his mind; he pardons those who attempt to cause him injury, and so on.
Anyone who sticks to these rules can be termed as a true Pardhaan or Gurmukh
(Spiritual Being)!

Without these true and essential qualities as outlined
in the Gurbani (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, SGGS), a person is not qualified to be
called a Pardhaan. On the contrary, a person lacking such divine qualities is
identified in the Gurbani as Manmukh (self-willed, ignorant, material-being...), Saakat
(faithless cynics), Kusang (bad company), Aatam-Ghaatee (soul-murderer),
Chor (thief), Mayadhaaree (in love with Maya only), Bemukh (nonbeliever),
Jhooth or Koorh (false or fake), non-devotee, selfish, demon,
beast, idiot, fool, animal, and so on.